A donation of $10 at the door gets you in to the cocktail party and hooks you up with a free drink, passed appetizers and the opportunity to mingle with other socially-conscious professionals in the Chicago area who choose to give back while throwing down (and, as the organization claims, change the world one cocktail at a time).

PHOTOS: Stimulus Social Club Bash

Proceeds from the event benefit StandUp For Kids, a not-for-profit organization founded in 1990 to help rescue homeless and at-risk youth.

After all, helping others gives you an excuse to continue drinking cocktails in 2012, even if you vowed to lay off the booze, doesn’t it?